What is the atmosphere?

What is the atmosphere?

When talking about the atmosphere, we must know thatManhas entered in recent decades the most dangerous stages of his existence on planet Earth since the beginning of its history, where terms such as:Global warming – which ultimately led to the global warming we are experiencing now – have appeared. Ozone, starvation, pollution; And other terms caused by human activities.

Based on the above, interest in the term atmosphere increased, and it was present at every climate conference, so that people’s attention turned to it. What is this atmosphere, what is its composition, and is it important for the Earth and its organisms, or not?

Definition of the atmosphere and its components

To answer these questions in an easy way, we must first understand the meaning of the atmosphere, and this is by looking at the sun’s rays. If it were not for the atmosphere, planet Earth and what is on it would be harmed. Because it absorbsthe harmful rays of the sun. So the atmosphere is a protective shield consisting of gases that cannot be seen by the human eye, and among these gases are: oxygen, nitrogen, and a small percentage of methane and carbon dioxide, in addition toozone, and we will talk about the latter in a later article in a series. (What…?).

In other words, we can say: These gases are called – collectively –Air, which revolves in orbit around the Earth due to Earth’s gravity. It is worth noting that air has a weight estimated at about 1170 grams per cubic meter.

The importance of the atmosphere

Each planet in our solar system has a uniquely organized atmosphere. The atmosphere of the planet Mercury, for example, is very thin, and is not much different from the vacuum in space. Also, the gas giant planets in our solar system—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—have a thick, deep atmosphere. As for the smaller rocky planets, such as Earth, Venus, and Mars, each of them has a thinner atmosphere. The moons in our solar system usually have thin atmospheres, with the exception of Saturn and Titan.

In contrast to the above, the Earth’s atmosphere has a layered structure that traps enough of the Sun’s energy for warmth, while blocking much of the harmful radiation coming from the Sun; This balance is necessary to maintain life on Earth.

We told you in the introduction to the article: The atmosphere is a shield that protects the Earth from the sun’s harmful rays – ultraviolet rays – as if the atmosphere is a blanket that protects the Earth from cold problems and frost damage. But this is not the only importance of air; But there are other benefits, including that living organisms breathe it, and it also helps regulate temperatures and light everywhere above the Earth’s surface, distributes water vapor over regions of the world, and is a conductor of sound and wireless signals.

Layers of the atmosphere

• The group of gases that make up the atmosphere exists in five multiple layers, and each layer has a height and characteristics different from the other layers. If you ascend about 18 kilometers – approximately – above the surface of the Earth, you become in the first layer of the air layers:The troposphere, which is the lowest layer of the atmosphere surrounding the Earth, where living organisms can breathe and live, and it is the layer in which almost all weather occurs.
• If you rise about 50 kilometers, you will have reached the stratospherestratosphere, which is a very dry layer – it has little water vapor – so the clouds in it are few compared to the other layers.
• LayerMesosphere, which is the coldest layer of the atmosphere, and is located at an altitude of approximately 80 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
• Thermosphere, which is the layer located at an altitude between 500 and 1000 kilometers, in which the air is thin, and there is no thermal boundary between it and the next layer. In this layer we find particles released by the sun, which are repelled by the Earth’s magnetic field. Then these molecules return towards the north and south poles; A famous phenomenon occurs:The aurora borealis phenomenon, that is, the lights that appear above the poles as a result of the interference of these particles.
• ThenIonosphere, which is a layer that overlaps with the atmosphere of the thermosphere – as well as the atmosphere of the mesosphere – as we said previously; It grows and contracts according to the energy it absorbs from the sun. This layer has no clear boundaries; Due to the different altitudes that occur during one day; So its height may range between 80 and 500 kilometers. It was given this name because it contains ions produced by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

In summary, the atmosphere is the mixture of gases that surround the Earth, and it helps make life possible, by providing us with air to breathe, protecting us from harmful ultraviolet rays coming from the sun, trapping heat to warm the planet, and preventing extreme temperature differences between day and night. In other words: the atmosphere is the protective bubble in which we live.

At the conclusion of the article, we say thatEarth Guards Magazine has tried here to define the term atmosphere, and mentioned to you its importance to all of our lives, and this is within the series (What…?); To easily approximate environmental and development terms; So that these articles are a step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)and preserving the environment.